What is the best 3d program?

I have Bryce and I think it is definately worth the money I paid.(edu: $100can.) I want a really good renderer and a really good modeler. I think Strata has the best render short of Maya but what should I buy for moddeling. I am currently using amapi 4 wich is fine for some modeling but I need something that can quickly turn a blueprint to a 3D model. I think meshwork is good for that but is there anything that is better? what is the best moddeler and what is the best renderer in your opinion?

There are lots of great programs out there, but like carlos said what is it you want to model exactly? Bryce is good for landscapes and Poser is good for quick figures, but I wouldn't suggest either as a main modeler of choice.

A nice, buget priced, modeler and renderer is Cinema 4d Go from Maxon. Maxon has just released Stuido 8 and is 'closing out' Cinema 4d Go at a cost of $195. The lowest price of the new Studio 8 package is $595 which is actually still a great deal...

I believe danlabs uses a version of Cinema 4d so you can get a feel for the rendering quality from the image that has been posted as image of the week here and you can go the their galleries at:http://www.maxon.net

edit: both cinema 4d go and studio 8 can import eps files that you can then extrude to 3d, if your blueprints are in eps format.

Animation Master (http://www.hash.com) is around that price I think. Last version I used crashed a lot though so be careful. If you could spare an extra hundred or two I would look into Lightwave (educational pricing). I got it for around $800 canadian with the educational discount. It has a great modeler and renderer imo.

LW is good (I use it). But it works in a procedural way like C and not in an Objective way like C++ or Maya. Maya is the 3D app of the future, but the Mac version isn't really good. Keep Bryce, it rocks. and when you get LW (or do you use it already), make sure to get many tutorials and stuff. It's like the hardest 3D app on the planet. I still can't model very well, but I good at animation, effects, LScripting, and...HyperVoxels!

Heck, Cinema 4D R8 has motion dynamics and physics like Maya! Man, the dynamics in C4D blow away LW. But I'm not switching . Maxon has made a cinema 4D module called PyroCluster to compete with LW's HyperVoxels. Ouch.

>But it works in a procedural way like C and not in an Objective way like C++

Not sure what that means....

Anyhow,
If you can get only ONE 3D app, you want to make sure it has a good balance of the following: modeling, rendering, animation. Also important are the update release schedule, stability, community support, and learning curve. So I won't talk about apps that seem to be out of your budget, here is my list for best bang for the buck..

1. Cararra 2
2. Amorphium 3
3. ZBrush
4. Strata 3D plus

I would list Strata higher but I think the "plus" version is only Mac OS 9 now, while its big brother JUST made it to Mac OS X. Cararra has a stable company behind it, offers a great value, many types of modeling and excellent rendering. Amorphium 3 has come a long way. If you like Bryce/Kai's Interfaces then you will be right at home. Also you can step up to Universe 5, made by the same company. A very strong 3D app. ZBrush is very interesting. It can allow you to model some great things. Download the demo and play back a ZSCRIPT and then be amazed! I didn't mention Lightwave. It is getting better and better, but the GUI is still a tad hard on the newbie. Education discounts are good though. I also didn't mention Hash, because as a former owner, and someone who was KICKED out of their forum, when I hadn't EVEN posted, I have given them the crown of WORSE software support in the biz. That said, for under $200, if you want to do character animation it is amazing. (But be prepared to be in beta mode the entire time you own the program.)

You can use 3D apps for 3 things IMHO. Creating pre-rendered sprites, creating backgrounds and large screen images, creating low-polygon count objects. What type of games will you be working on? That might have an impact on what you should buy. I didn't mention Cinema, as Cinema Go seems to be "GONE". Cinema 4D apps are great for rendering small sprites amoung other things. If they come out with a low-end version again, I would have recommended them. (I heard a low-end Lightwave is also in the works.)

Again, get all the DEMOS first. Also, get the Maya Education version and see what it is like to use a high-end program for a bit.

Last thing... I don't think ONE app can be the ultimate. They all bring pros and cons. I use several to tackle various jobs.

I used to use Carrara as well, when it was 1.0 and that was a very nice app. was a nice cross between Ray Dream and Infini D. The modeler was easy to use and understand with it being in a separate 'room' and the rendering was pretty descent as well.

Here is my pet peeve about some 3D (and other kinds of) apps. Yes - I know many many users feel differently! I dislike apps that create their own interface and take over the whole screen.

While there are some issues I have with Aqua and the Mac UI - for the most part I quite like the interface. The problem with a 3D app taking over the whole screen and using its own interface is that it doesnt work well with other apps. Its jarring to swap out of the fullscreen 'other' ui to the finder or photoshop or whatever else Im using.

Quote:Originally posted by Camacho
because as a former owner, and someone who was KICKED out of their forum, when I hadn't EVEN posted, I have given them the crown of WORSE software support in the biz.

How on eath did you get kicked out of their forum if you hadn't posted yet?

That puzzles me too (how you got kicked off without saying anything), did it have something to do with their mention in the article that you did about 3D programs for the Mac? but yes the Hash mailing list is moderated with a tight fist. If you say the word "bug" you're probably going to get flamed to death and kicked off. Don't ever compare their products to any others either, if you want to stay on their list that is.

Their support usually goes something like this...

You: "Hi I'm having this problem..." (usually related to the program crashing)
Them: "Do you have the latest version?" (new versions come out almost constantly)
You: "No"
Them: "Sorry we can't help you then, you're going to have to spend $100 to upgrade" (with no guarantee that your problem will be fixed by upgrading)
You: "Well geeze, when I buy software I expect it to work like it's supposed to"
Them: Silence

Then when you post your problem to their mailing list and get kicked off and are told to e-mail tech support your problems. The cycle continues...